Grover Washington Jr. - Soul Box Vol 1 & 2

Blue Funk's Rating: 7 out of 10
Vol 1 (A1-B): 4 out of 5
Vol 2 (C1-D2): 3 out of 5

A1 Aubrey
A2 Masterpiece - Blue Funk's Pick

B Trouble Man
C1 You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
C2 Don't Explain
D1a Easy Living
D1b Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do
D2 Taurian Matador

I had been sitting on these records for a while now, as I purchased them to complete my collections of Grover Washington records. This 2 disc set has been issued together, but is harder to find/more expensive than if purchased individually. I bought vol 2 two years ago and had never given it a proper listen. I added vol 1 to my collection in the past year, but both discs intimidated me. I finally sat down and gave them both a listen through, and I was quite pleasantly surprised at the material, albeit the length of the project and individual tracks requires a lot of dedication from the listener.

Vol 1 is made up of three tracks, "Aubrey," "Masterpiece" and a Marvin Gaye cover, "Trouble Man." both "Masterpiece" and "Trouble Man" clock in at over 10 minutes each, while Aubrey a mere 3, and honestly they are not the strongest 3 minutes on the album. What first caught my attention was the aptly titled, "Masterpiece." This lengthy track lives up to its name by laying down a fantastic, slow, bass-driven groove, on top of which Washington delivers some very soulful playing. What really stood out to me on this track, however, was the keys solo by Bob James, where he plays some incredibly funky licks and produces some very unique sounds. I am a sucker for rhodes, and this piece delivered just what I wanted. I felt like it was a tad on the long side, but given the amazing playing, I didn't mind that it was lengthy. 

The entire B side of Vol 1 is taken up by a 15 minute cover of Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man." The original tune is incredibly soulful and groovy, while maintaining an almost haunting, mellow feel. The translation of the tune into the jazz-funk medium felt incredibly natural, as the main riff of the song is played on horns. I felt that this was Grover's best solo on the first volume, he really plays his soul out. I really appreciated how they expanded a 3 minute song into a 15 minute song. 

I love it when artists are comfortable exploring different ideas and not afraid of "losing the listeners." The musicians on this album take the time to properly introduce, build and resolve the songs, which I think is something that is lacking from a lot of current music. If you are going to commit to doing a song, I think it only makes sense to explore it fully. Most "classics" were born from unflinching artistic integrity, not from considering what works on the radio.

Volume 1 was, overall, very consistent, with excellent playing and solos throughout. 

Vol 2 felt a little more uneven and difficult to listen to. Nonetheless, the playing is fantastic, and C1 & D2 really let the musicians shine. C1 is the best cut on here, with an excellent piano solo that emerged quite unexpectedly. C2 is a difficult track, probably my least favorite on the album, as it is very sombre and long, I didn't find the 11 minute time span really justified, given the content. D1 is a medley with exciting moments and some moments that fall flat, but there is some great solos and playing that brings the album back up from its low point of C2. D2 starts off rather intense and I was worried it would be another difficult track, but as it chugs along it really picks up steam and finally Grover Washington cuts loose on his saxophone for a truly inspired solo. 

Taken as a whole, the album has a lot of strong points: great musicians, fantastic playing, amazing grooves, and insane solos. However, it is not without its flaws as some tracks go on a bit longer than necessary, and others that did not really meet up to the high standards of the rest. Some of this is probably due to more of my personal taste, as I do not have much of a thing for brooding, melancholic songs, so give C2 a listen and see how you like it for yourself. I am giving this collection a 7 out of 10, as it is not the best work by Grover, but covers a lot of ground & styles, and manages to stay consistent for the most part. If you have to choose one of the two records, though, buy Vol 1 without hesitation. You won't regret it.

-DJ Blue Funk